First fall in years

[tallulahturtle]

Please forgive the long post but think I'm just looking to get this written down and out of my system so i can forget about it and move on.

Well it had to happen sooner or later especially as I am still getting used to jumping again and the horse is learning (spent most her life chasing a polo ball and now she is starting her jumping career at the age of 15) .

Was going so well we were doing grids but I think she was either getting tired or testing me or both but she started ducking out of the last fence , I also was tired (wish non horsey people could appreciate how tiring an hours jumping lesson can be especially when the rider is still quite new in the saddle after a long break). As I was tired i don't think i was riding as strongly i could have been and when she went to duck out the last fence i braced myself for it, what i didn't expect was for her to try jump the wing!!

Cue me going out the side door landing flat on my back and getting winded for the first time ever, wasn't pleasant and i made the most bizarre noise as i tried to breathe. My instructor sorted me out brilliantly and told me what was going on and that it will pass and to just relax. She then got on and made her jump them all , it looked so easy and elegant she is such a good rider , so lucky to have her as an instructor :)

I then got back on and we jumped the grid again three times albeit with poles at the side to discourage a run out (or anticipation of a run out from me as she didn't strictly run out :)) then i walked her around to let her relax and then we called it a day but i was glad i got back on and jumped and that we hadn't cut the lesson short . The jumping of the whole grid of 4 jumps was the finale in a way as we had started with trotting poles then canter poles then two fences and finally four plus a single jump at the opposite side of the school.

Now i am feeling pretty achy and think it will hit me more in the morning but i cant wait to have another go and get it right. Also realised that getting me more riding fit as well as getting the horse fit is something that i need to tackle as i think it will help me be an effective rider for the whole lesson rather than me getting to the point of the lesson where we finally put everything we practised in the lesson ,together and I'm just too knackered and faint to ride strongly and i end up on the floor :).

Anyone have any tips for getting riding fit , and specific type of riding good for it? Or other sports?

Again sorry for long post but just felt the need to share my first fall in ages with you all. :)

Ouch, I hope you've had a nice soak in a hot bath and well done for getting back on .

I have to admit your comment about riding being tiring made me smile. Today I had just come out of our field gate on dhorse and was waiting for an elderly man on a bike to trundle past. He asked me if I "did that for a living" so I told him no it was a hobby. He replied I'd be better off getting some exercise! .

Haha pixel the cheeky bugger :)!!

Yeah id always get back on unless something was clearly wrong with my body or the horse. Also i feel that falling off when jumping and cocking it up is easier to get back on from than say a rear or when the horse clearly wants you off its back.

Well done on getting back on and jumping again. Is an hour maybe slightly too long for your and the horse's level of fitness?

Yeah i think so, i think next lesson we wont do so much of a build up to jumping the grid. I really don't blame her as she had been so honest all the lesson and i think she was trying to duck out as she was tired rather than naughty. And as i was tired i didnt have the energy or strength to get us out of trouble.
Very sore back today :-/ bless her she just stood over me while i was lying on the floor too probably thinking "oh crap ive just killed the lady who feeds me and scratches my itchy bits". :)

she just stood over me while i was lying on the floor too
Lucky you. When I fall off my horse heads for the stable. Once when my instructor had shut the arena gate to stop him from doing that he jumped over the fence.

Getting back on is the key, definitely the right thing to do. I don't do anything specific fitness wise but find that just dealing with a horse and pony is good exercise, plus I walk the dogs daily. I have also been doing Pilates for 6 months to help with various aches and pains and without really realising it, it does help.

Ouch ! Poor you ! Make sure you have some ibuprofen to hand , because you'll be horribly sore tomorrow . I went out of the side door when Hooly Horse got frightened by a tractor dragging its trailer down the road towards us sparks and all, and slipped . I broke my wrist , and he fortunately only took all the skin off a back leg , but it knocked my confidence for a while , and I think a lot of that was because I didn't get on . Couldn't get on , in fact as horse was horribly lame and bleeding all over the road . So well done indeed for getting back on!

I find that the best thing to get riding fit really is riding . Gym stuff helps , but riding seems to use a whole different set of muscles . I was never so fit as when I was working for a dressage rider on her yard . Wish I was still that fit !

Yeah might give pilates a go and do simple things like taking the stairs instead. I have a physical job so im fairly muscly up top and can throw around boxes of wine etc for hours just like the blokes i work with but it doesnt seem to make me any fitter for riding, it really does use unique muscles.

Plomino that sounds like a horrible experience and illustrates that there are times where it is impossible to get back on either because of injury to you or the horse or both.

I had a day off today luckily so have not had to throw boxes of wine around . Horse care wise its not my day to do it as the owner also has a day off so all i have done is a bit of poo picking as the other friend whos horse i ride has hurt her back. Not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow, back is not too happy and i swear ive done some sort of whiplash type thing to ny neck.

My husband broke his toe at work today so we are a right pair at the moment although im getting less sympathy as my injuries were gained doing something i enjoy....charming :)!!